Operating mechanism for washing-machines.



G. N .YMEVBS. UPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION TILED APBJO, 1909.

Patented Sept. 14, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. N. MBVES. OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

AYPLICATION FILED APR. 10, 1909.

Patented Sept. 14, 1909. 2 sums-sum a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV N. MEVES, OF DAVENPORT, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO THE H. I. BRAMMER MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF DAVENTPORT, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR. WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 14, 1.909.

Application filed April 10, 1908. Serial No. 489,068.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that. I, Gustav N. Mnves, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Daren ort, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, lave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for \Vashing-lllachines; and I do hereby declare that the following is. a full. clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a art of this specification.

This invention relates to means for op erating washing machines of that type whereby the agitator clothes operating shaft within the tub is given a rotary reciprocating motion in alternate directions, the prime mover being a rocking hand lever.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter setforth and more particularly pointed out in the ap ended claims.

In the drawings illustrating this invention:-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a washing machine rovided with my improvement. Fig. 2 1s a top )lan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertica sectional view taken upon the irregular dotted line 33 of Fig. and lookng in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view taken upon the irregular dotted line 44 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Like letters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawin s, A represents the washing machine tub of familiar form mounted upon su portin legs, the tub being of the usual ey indrica structure; B is a ortion of the top secured to the tub; B a ringed lid for the remaining portion of the tub; C is the operating shaft vertically and rotatively mounted in the lid B and carrying the clothes agitator of iamiliar type C at its lower end and rovided at its upper end out- B with the actuating pinside of the li ion C D a rocking member, the teeth (I whereof are adapted to engage and actuate the teeth of the pinion C, said rocking nn-mber D being in the form of a pivoted segment.

E is the prime mover, the same consisting of a rocking lever which may be operated by ,a handle e.

'G is a rotating shaft provided at one end with a gear wheel G and at its other end with a crank G The crank G is connected with the rocking segmental member (l by a link 1 and the gear wheel (i is connected to the actuating rocking lever l) by a link 1'. The lever E which is pivotally mounted upon a stud a and secured thereto by any suitable means, may be comprised of two arms one of which 0 is provided with a suitable socket or other means for receiving the handle 0 and the other arm a of which is pivotally connected to the link 0.

A suitable casting, designated as a whole by the letter F, is mounted by screws or otherwise upon the hinge portion of the lid B. The central portion f of thecusting F is provided with a downwardly projecting a ertured sleeve f (see Fig; 3,) which a ords a suitable journal bearing for the agitator operating shaft. C. An arch frame F 2 projectsfron'n the central portion f of the plate F and carries-a pivot bolt or stud f upon which the rocking member 1) is supported. Another portion f of the plate F is provided with two upwardly projecting members f which atl'ord ournal bearings for the rotating shaft G. The. remaining portion f of the base plate F is provided with two upwardly projecting hubs f", f, the former supporting the outwardly irojvcting stud e on which the actuatinglever E is mounted and the latter supporting the outwardly projecting stud h. f

A fly wheel 11 which is mounted upon the stud h 'is held in position by a not /iand is provided with an inwardly projecting-"tum carrying a pinion li,'the teeth of the latter meshing with the gear wheel G.

Upon the top of the tub B is. a casting I 4 having at one end an upwardly projecting apertured member 6 adapted to afford a vlit) journal bearing for the shaft G and also adapted, in connection with the bearing f and its shaft G, to constitute a hinge or the lid B At the other end of the castin" I are Secured ordinary i'orm common to this type of washing machine, said wringer support being cured to the tub in any suitable manner.

The operation of the device is simple. The clothes and soap water being in the tub and the lid closed, the operator takes hold of the handle a and rocks the lever E up and down, the rocking motion of the lever E being translated into continuous rotary motion of the shaft (1: by means of the link a and the gear wheel G. the shaft. (3 is translated into oscillating motion of the rocking member 1) by means of the crank (i and the link 1 The oscillating motion of the rocking member I) is translated into reciprocating rotary motion of the shaft C by means of the teeth (Z of the segmental rocking member D and the pinion C, wht'retore the clothes'within the tub are swished around throughthe water first in one direct ion and then in the other direction. The rotation of the wheel G in engagement with the teeth of the pinion It causes the fly wheel H to rotate at a high rate of speed and to store. up energy which serves to carry the operating parts past the dead centers and to reduce the energy required upon the handle. a to continue the movement o.' the operating parts after they have once been set in motion.

It. will be noted that the special ceislruetion of the casting l provides a strong and durable frame'for the operating parts calculated to withstand the strain and rack and jar of the motion of the several parts.

My machine is simple and cheap in construetion and durable in operation and has the advantage of attaining high speed and power in the operating shaft (3 at. the mininnun exertion of power upon the prime mover l).

I I claim as my invcntion:-

1. Means for operating a washing machine comprising, in combination, a rotating shaft, an operating shaft and an actuating lever, means for translating the rocking motion of the actuating lever into rotary motion of said rotating shaft, and means for translating the rotary motion of said shaft into rotary reciprocating motion in said operating shaft.

2. Means for operating a washing machine comprising an actuating lever, a rotating shaft, means for translating the rocking motion of the actuating lever into continuous rotary mot-ion of the said rotating shaft, an operating shaft, a pinion upon the upper end of the said operating shaft, a rocking member in engagement with said pinion, and means for translating the ctmtinuous rotary motion of the rotating shaft. into rocking reciprtwating motion of the rocking member.

3. Means for operating a washing machine comprising, in combination, a rotating The rotary motion of shaft, an operating shaft and an actuating lever, means for translating the rocking motion of the actuating lever into rotary motion of said rotating shaft, and means for translating the rotary motion of said shaft into rotary reciprtxrating motion in said 0 e 'titing shaft, and a fly wheel independent y mounted, and means for rotating said fly wheel from saidrotating shaft.

Means for operating a washing machine comprising. in combination, an operating shaft, a pinion on the said operating shaft,a rocking member provided with segmental teeth in mesh with said pinion, a rotating drive shaft having a crank at one end and a gear wheel at the other, a link connection between the rocking member and the crank, an actuating lever, a link connection between tbe actuating lever and the gear wheel. and a fly wheel independently mounted and provided with a pinion in engagement with the gear wheel.

Phqco nbination with an operatin" slmrf't, of a pinion on said shaft, :1 pivoted segmental gear adapted for engagement with said pinion, a rotating shaft, :1 gear wheel on said rotating shaft. a pivoted actuating lever connected with said gear wheel whereby the rocking motion 01 said lever is translatcd into rotary motion of said rotating shaft, and a lly h el provided with a pinion on its hub adapted for engagement with said gear wheel.

6. The combination with a 'base plate adapted to best-cured to a suitable support; and provided with a vertically arranged journal bearing. an operating shaft in said bearing,

raised journal bearings, and a rotating shaft in said raised journal bearings, said base plate being prm ided with an arched portion, a rot-hing member pivotally secured to said arched portion, gear connections between said rocking member and the operating l|;ll l means for translating the rotary moti n of the rotating shaft into the rocking' motion of the rocking member, said base plate being provided also with two outwardly projecting studs, a lly wheel loosely inonnted on one of raid studs. a pinion connected with said tly wheel, and means for translating the rocking motion of the actuating lever into rotary motion of the rotating shaft and the lly wheel. said means cmln-aeing a gear wheel mounted on the rotating shaft, and in mesh with the pinion attached to the fly Wheel.

7. The combination with an operating shaft. of a rotating shaft. provided with "a crank arm which is connected with said operating shaft. and a base plate adapted to be secured to a-suitahle support, said lmh't. plate being provided with a vertically arranged journal hearing for the operating shaft'and with 'aised journal bearings for supporting the rotating shafthorizontally almve the lane plate at a sutlieient distance 3 to atl'ord rlearaure for the said crank arm.

8. The romhination with an operating shaft. of a rotating shaft,'a eranlc arm on said t'u nt ng' shaft operatirelv eonneete'cl with the said operatin; shaft, and means for :ntuatinp the rotating shaft. of a base plateadapted to he hll'lll'ltl to a :-'nit:tl)lt. upport and provided with a vertieallv arranged hearing for said operating shaft. and with rai-ed hearing for the rotating shaft, and hinging mean for the hase plate support l:lli)l'i\tlll f a muting plate sernred to said I nppnrt and provided with an upwardly prop-ting horizontally apertnred memberp aml a serond rusting supported independently of the hase plate support and provided at une end with an upwardly pr0 cctin; horizontallv apertured nieniher through whirh the rotating shatt passw and provided at its other end with upwardl) projecting members horizontally apertured in line ith the aperture in the upwardly projet-ling member of the first named casting,

and a hinge. pin ini ert0tl through saidi alined aperture; the hinge pin and the r0- tating ahaft being tll axial alinement.

9. The casting I" provided with the vert1- ral hearing 7'. pivot pins 7', h and e mounted thereon and with h rizontally apertured raised members f. f, in combination with the aetuating lever 0 supported on pivot. pin 1:, the rotating ehaft (ir journaled in the raised members f, f and operatively eonnerted with the lever w, the fly wheel H Supported on the pivot lr" and operatively ronnerted with the shaft G, the rocking meniher 1) supported on the pivot f and f operativel ronneeted with the shaft (l, and

the operating shaft jonrnaled in the bearing 1' and o a-ratively ronneeted with the roelung member I In testimony. that 1 claim the foregoing as my invention l atlix my signature. in the present-e of two witnesses. this 31st day of Marrh D. 1909.

GUSTAV N. MEVES. 'itneeses:

jYnmmu L. Ill-um, 'l.\1'i.m l. BROWN. 

